Bump & Run Carjacking Technique

This is a reminder of one of the oldest scams in Kenya, that people often forget about. The common practice is for someone to gently bump you in the rear bumper. The normal reaction is to get out of your vehicle, leave the keys in the ignition and walk to the back of your vehicle to check for damage. As soon as you are pre-occupied at the back, someone jumps in your car and drives away. The best thing to do is to stay in your vehicle and keep your doors locked and your windows up. Phone the police hot line or your local security company and ask them to dispatch someone to the scene. Or drive to your nearest police station.

UN Report On International Road Safety

UN Secretary-General issues his first report on international road safety

UN Photo/Mark Garten

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, has published his first report to the UN General Assembly on progress in international road safety. The Report calls upon Member States to continue using the WHO-World Bank World report on road traffic injury prevention as a framework for road safety efforts, and to pay particular attention to the risk factors mentioned in this report. It also calls on Member States to be cognisant of the safety needs of vulnerable road users, for example through improvements for public transport and separate road space for pedestrians and cyclists. In his report the UN Secretary-General calls for a ministerial conference on road safety to be held under the auspices of the UN in the near future and also stresses the need for an appropriate global tool to monitor progress.

The report summarizes achievements from the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, a network of more than 40 agencies facilitated by the World Health Organization. Among the major recent achievements highlighted is the First UN Global Road Safety Week held in April 2007 and celebrated through hundreds of national events focussed on youth and road safety as well as World Youth Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. The Report also draws attention to a series of good practice manuals developed by partners from the UN Road Safety Collaboration and aimed at addressing some of the key risk factors for road traffic injuries - drink driving, seat-belts, helmets, speed, visibility, etc.

Night Driving Tips

Don't just take a stab in the dark.

Between midnight and 6AM is the riskiest time for crashes, because there are fewer drivers yet more accidents than any other time of the day. Holidays and vacations may put you in situations where you want to drive through the night to get somewhere, but if you do intend to drive at night, there are some important considerations to keep in mind. Safe night driving requires preparation, alertness and a heavy dose of common sense.

Make sure your headlights are properly aimed. Check with your car's service manual or a professional for the proper procedure. Also make sure all other lights work.

Keep your headlights and windshield clean. Being able to see other cars and be seen by other drivers helps a lot! If it's bug season, stop and wipe them off at each break.

Don't overdrive your headlights. Especially when driving on smaller roads without reflector strips, follow a four-second rule. Take note of where the far reach of your low beams are, then count four seconds. If you pass that original place in less than four seconds, then you are going too fast. Two to three seconds may be an acceptable range for major highways with reflector strips. Remember that posted speed limits are for driving in daylight with dry road conditions.

Use high beams wisely. The use of high-beam headlights when there isn't oncoming traffic can extend the time that you have to react to hazards. Never use your high beams because the high beams of the oncoming car stay on. This will only increase the chances of a head-on collision.

Don't look at oncoming headlights. Focus on the edges of oncoming traffic and bright objects, as staring directly into headlights can blind you for up to five seconds until your eyes adjust.

Look around. Keep your eyes moving from side to side, rather than focusing only on the centerline and the road ahead, to help your eyes stay adjusted to the dark and avoid falling victim to "highway hypnosis," a state in which reaction time is greatly impaired.

Wear sunglasses during the day. Wearing sunglasses during bright days helps keep your eyes more sensitive for driving in the dark.

Always carry flares or reflectors for a breakdown. Keep them in a place where they can be easily accessed in an emergency.

If you're tired, get off the road and sleep. If you feel sleepy, caffeine can never be a substitute for sleep, nor is loud music or rolling down the windows. Pull over and rest, and stop every two hours for a break out of the car even if you're not feeling sleepy. Don't set out on a trip tired. Change your schedule and get some rest first.

Another important reminder: During the time of the year, when days suddenly get much shorter due to the end of daylight-saving time, more pedestrians are out walking in the dark during peak evening traffic hours. "Drivers have to be especially careful now, because pedestrian fatalities have been shown each year to quadruple during the period just after daylight-saving time ends," said Jim Rink of AAA Michigan, citing an American Journal of Public Health report. Remember to turn your headlights on by dusk and slow down!

By BENGT HALVORSON

Refresher Driving Courses Now Available

Glen Edmunds Performance Driving School

It is really important to take “refresher” courses in almost everything we learn, particularly driving skills. Most experts agree that we need to hear something a minimum of 30 times before it becomes integrated into our memory.

When it comes to driving skills, you need to brush up on your driving skills at least every 18 months. Otherwise, it’s easy to slip back into those old negative habits. With this in mind, we have developed a refresher course that will help you brush up on your skills.

Glen Edmunds Performance Driving School is now offering four-hour driving refresher course from 8:30am. – 12:30pm. on specific dates.

Content
It’s all driving! Drivers will be put through an assessment in order to establish which areas they need to work on most. We’ll then offer practical feedback on how to improve their skills and put them through the necessary driving exercises.

During the training, participants are in the car with one of our qualified instructors. We actively discuss how you are driving, and why. Our client's show dramatic improvements after not only being shown what to do correctly, but understanding the reasons why.

Certificate
At the end of the half day training, we will issue each participant with a Certificate Of Attendance.

Details:
Time: 8:30 – 12:30
Venue: Glen Edmunds Performance Driving School, Embakasi
Driving Time: 4 Hours
Classroom Time – None
Minimum Number of Students: 3

Contact us on Kim@performance.co.ke for further information.

Don't Drop Your Guard

You could almost here the huge sigh of relief all across the country when Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga signed the peace agreement in favour of a power sharing arrangement. Although reactions to the peace agreement have been peaceful so far, please don’t fall into a state of complacency or let down your guard.

The British Foreign & Common Wealth Office (FCO) reports: the situation in Kenya remains fragile and tense in the aftermath of two months of violence and widespread displacement of communities, following the disputed election on 27 December 2007.

*Large gatherings and demonstrations could still occur and should be avoided. Any rallies, even if advertised as peaceful, could potentially turn violent. On 28 February police fired tear gas to disperse dozens who had gathered to witness the signing of the power sharing agreement.

So please remain vigilant at all times and keep yourself informed through media and security reports.